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Home » Recipes » Pasta Recipes

November 29, 2021 · 8 Comments

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

Casseroles & Stews· Italian· Pasta Recipes

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Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a classic casserole dish made with your favorite marinara sauce, ground beef, Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses. 
Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a classic casserole dish made with your favorite marinara sauce, ground beef, Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses. 
Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a classic casserole dish made with your favorite marinara sauce, ground beef, Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses. 

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a classic casserole dish made with your favorite marinara sauce, ground beef, Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses. 

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

Baked Ziti is one of those meals that I usually only make when hosting a crowd for holidays or parties. It's so easy to make, I'm not quite sure why I don't make it more often during the week!

Recently, I had purchased some ricotta cheese to make this Beef Ricotta Casserole, but later changed my mind when I had a few containers of sauce in the freezer I wanted to use up before making a new pot. 

I was going to make lasagna when I realized I really needed to update this post from 2011; which is when I first shared this recipe. The picture was horrible and the recipe is so good I couldn't resist. 

Baked Ziti in white casserole dish

What is Baked Ziti?

Baked ziti or pasta al forno is a popular Italian-American casserole dish made with ziti pasta, cheeses and a Neapolitan-style marinara sauce.

The pasta is first boiled; then tossed with egg, cheeses, sauce and seasonings before being baked until golden brown. 

Suggested Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Medium Pot
  • Colander
  • Large Nonstick Skillet
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Oven Safe Casserole Dish (9x13)

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce on a spoon

Ingredients

  • extra lean ground beef
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • prepared marinara sauce
  • ziti pasta
  • ricotta cheese
  • mozzarella cheese
  • egg
  • parsley
  • garlic powder
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper

You can use your favorite sauce whether it's homemade or store bought, and also substitute lower fat cheeses in this recipe. 

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce in a white dish

Cook the Ziti Pasta

Add water to large pot, sprinkle some salt, bring to a boil over high heat; then add the ziti. Cook the pasta according to package directions, removing while the pasta is still somewhat firm.

Drain the pasta in a colander; then add back into the pot. You don't want to cook it all the way because the sauce and cheese mixture will cook the pasta even further.

Make the Meat Sauce

While the pasta is cooking, add the ground beef to the skillet with a little olive oil and brown 5-7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Next, add the marinara sauce and simmer on low for 10 minutes. 

Mix the cheese

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add this mixture along with the meat sauce to the pasta in the pot; mix well.

Assemble the Baked Ziti

Place the pasta mixture in an oven safe baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake at 425 degrees F 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and it is heated through. 

We prefer our baked ziti and lasagna with a meat sauce, but you can make it using ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, sausage or even leave out the meat entirely. 

Cheesy Baked Ziti on a spoon

Can you freeze Baked Ziti?

Yes! You can make baked ziti up to 3 months ahead of time and freeze until you're ready to bake and serve.

Prepare the recipe up until it's time to bake; then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze.

Remove the pan from the freezer and allow to defrost in the refrigerator completely for 1-2 days before cooking as instructed.

You can also freeze cooked baked ziti in individual airtight containers once cooked; then reheat in an oven safe dish or in the microwave. 

VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY. 

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a classic casserole dish made with your favorite marinara sauce, ground beef, Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses. 

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Baked Ziti in white casserole dish

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a classic casserole dish made with your favorite marinara sauce, ground beef, Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Main Entree
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 10

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Medium Pot
  • Colander
  • Large Nonstick Skillet
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Oven Safe Casserole Dish (9x13)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cups Prepared Marinara Sauce
  • 1 pound ziti pasta
  • 1- (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; divided

Instructions
 

  • Add water to large pot, sprinkle some salt, bring to a boil over high heat; then add the ziti. Cook the pasta according to package directions, removing while the pasta is still somewhat firm.
  • Drain the pasta in a colander; then add back into the pot. (You don't want to cook it all the way because the sauce and cheese mixture will cook the pasta even further).
  • While the pasta is cooking, add the ground beef and olive oil to the skillet and brown 5-7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Next, add the marinara sauce and simmer on low for 10 minutes. You can use your favorite sauce whether it's homemade or store bought.
  • In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add this mixture along with the meat sauce to the pasta in the pot; mix well.
  • Place the pasta mixture in an oven safe baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and it is heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 27gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 682mgPotassium: 555mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 690IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 231mgIron: 3mg
Keyword pasta
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*Originally shared December 2011/Updated November 2021

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pat says

    September 06, 2024 at 4:15 pm

    Where does the olive oil go? I see it’s called for but never used.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      September 07, 2024 at 8:14 am

      I apologize for that. You can add the olive oil to the pan to heat before browning the ground beef. Since I use extra lean meat it helps add a little fat to the meat. If using 80/20 you can omit the olive oil as the meat will produce enough fat on its own.

      Reply
  2. Donna says

    September 24, 2023 at 11:28 am

    Took this to a potluck, they loved it but next time I will add more sauce as it tended to dry out sitting.

    Reply
  3. Simone says

    July 26, 2022 at 5:40 pm

    Thank you for this recipe! It’s hard to find truly delicious, simple recipes. I LOVE that this can be done with ingredients you pick up at the store, in the quantities that are common (ex. 1 lb beef, 15 oz ricotta). My veggie hating husband also appreciates that there is no additional chopped onion. I was a little hesitant about mixing everything together, as I’ve always layered ingredients in baked ziti before, but decided to give it a try. I added a little shredded Parmesan to the ricotta filling (about 1/2 cup), but otherwise followed exactly using a favorite jar of marinara. Based on pre-baking tasting, this will be a keeper!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      July 27, 2022 at 7:07 am

      I hope you liked the recipe, thank you for giving it a try!

      Reply
  4. Carrie says

    December 21, 2011 at 2:46 am

    Total deliciousness. I'm on vacation next week and seriously thinking I might do something in the kitchen!

    This looks great.

    Reply
  5. LB @ Bullets And Biscuits says

    December 21, 2011 at 12:47 am

    Yes! This is one of my favorite meals too. The cheesier the better 😉

    Reply
  6. Melissa Placzek says

    December 21, 2011 at 4:19 am

    OOOHHHH!!! This sounds awesome! Can't wait to try it!

    xoxo,
    Melissa
    http://www.ChinDeep.com

    Reply

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